NSW records 283 new local COVID-19 cases and one death as Tamworth prepares to join lockdown

NSW has recorded 283 new locally-acquired COVID-19 cases and one death. 

A woman in her 90s with COVID-19 who was in palliative care died overnight, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said on Monday.

"Our deepest heartfelt condolences to her loved ones, all deaths are horrible during this time," she said.

Ms Berejiklian urged those in the Canterbury-Bankstown local government area and surrounding suburbs to remain vigilant, as it remains "the epicentre of the virus in NSW and Sydney".

At least 64 people were in the community for their entire infectious period, with another 42 in the community for part of their infectious period. The isolation status of 71 cases is under investigation.

NSW recorded 283 new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm last night.

One hundred and six cases were in isolation throughout their infectious period and 42 were in isolation for part of their infectious period. pic.twitter.com/fvZUnwpJ4F

â€" NSW Health (@NSWHealth) August 9, 2021Tamworth prepares to go into lockdown

Meanwhile, the Tamworth local government area will go into a one-week lockdown from 5pm Monday, after an infected person from Newcastle visited a number of locations.

"There aren't any cases there yet, but we do know the person went from Newcastle to Tamworth and visited a number of locations," Ms Berejiklian said.

NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant said the person who arrived in Tamworth on 5 August had not been aware she had the virus and is now isolating in Newcastle. 

Meanwhile, NSW Health officials are urging people in Byron Bay to come forward for testing, after a man was infectious in the community for a number of days.

"He had symptoms for several days. we are quite concerned. and we will be monitoring that very closely," Dr Chant said.

Vaccine rollout ramped up

Meanwhile, thousands of Year 12 students from the eight LGAs in western and southwestern Sydney will start being vaccinated at Sydney Olympic Park today. 

Ms Berejiklian said the state government was considering opening more hubs. 

"We are increasing the points of access as fast as we can," she said.

"Once we reach 70 per cent vaccination rates, we'll be talking about hospitalisations instead of cases." 

The premier said she wanted to see more essential workers in the eight LGAs vaccinated.

"We have confidence, once we get the jabs up, we will have the confidence to open up - depending on vaccination rates and where the cases are," she said.

"I want NSW to be the first state in Australia to hit all those targets of vaccination."

The ICU director at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Dr Richard Totaro, also urged people to get vaccinated, saying it would ease the burden on hospitals.

"The striking thing is that there is no one in the ICU after having had two vaccines," he said.

On Sunday, NSW Health vaccinated almost 2,000 supermarket and food distribution workers with AstraZeneca at Sydney Olympic Park.

There were COVID-19 patients 349 in hospital as of Monday, with 67 people in intensive care. A total of 133,000 COVID-19 tests were conducted on Sunday.

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